Luhmann and Marx

social theory and social freedom

To the extent that Luhmann's theory of society reflects a preference for a particular model of political organization, it is clear that he was hostile to Marxist principles, and even (or perhaps most expressly) to Social Democratic political theories. In its political dimensions, specifically, Luhmann's theory contains a deep rejection of the residual totalism that pervades Marx's political reflection and some of its Social Democratic derivates.